The Embracer Group has snapped up eight companies in its latest acquisition move, with Duke Nukem developer 3D Realms being part of the group.
The Swedish firm – known for being the owners of Koch Media, Gearbox Software, Saber Interactive and THQ Nordic – has continued its reign of purchasing game studios. The first of which being Denmark-based Ghost Ship Games, Slipgate Ironworks and the aforementioned 3D Realms.
Swedish developer Easy Trigger Games was another that will now merge with the team at Coffee Stain, while hypercasual mobile specialist CrazyLabs will continue to operate independently under DECA Games.
Finally. Amsterdam VR studio Force Field will join Embracer, alongside the Viking merchandise firm Grimfrost.
The complete list of companies acquired by Embracer include:
- 3D Realms
- Easy Trigger
- Grimfrost
- Slipgate Ironworks
- Ghost Ship Games
- CrazyLabs
- Digixart
- Force Field
The acquisitions collectively cost the company $313 million and now means it owns over 70 studios. Another $232 million will be paid out to the studios if a number of milestones are met in the next eight years.
These purchases follow on from the $640 million deal for Easybrain and the $450 million agreement for Aspyr Media.
“I am excited to welcome more than 500 great talents across a wide range of well-established businesses that further diversify and strengthen the group across the world from day one,” said Embracer Group CEO and co-founder Lars Wingefors as part of the announcement.
All of these names under one roof has actually created an interesting dilemma for Embracer after Gearbox Software repeatedly filed a lawsuit against 3D Realms over a Duke Nukem dispute, with the last being in June 2020.
Studio acquisitions are happening in their droves over the last year or so. For one, Sony announced that Housemarque, the developer behind PS5 exclusive Returnal, is now officially part of PlayStation Studios.
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